Summer Vacation #2: Garden City, SC

This year we were blessed to take our own family vacation to Arizona and our extended family vacation to Garden City. The first night we went to dinner at Ultimate California Pizza. After a day of traveling we felt like the kids had some energy to burn so we took them to the Springmaid Pier and then let them run around on the grass.

Uncle Trent throwing Riley up in the air!

On Sunday it rained so we, along with the Painters, set our for a shopping trip and ended up at the outlets and had lunch at River City Cafe. That night we went to Admiral's Flagship, where everyone enjoyed the buffett and Trent and I enjoyed All-You-Can-Eat Crablegs, yum! The following night was Trent and Carly's date night so Mom, Jeremy, Riley and I went to one of our favorite places, Gulfstream Cafe, for their Early Bird Specials. We lucked up with a table on the water with a great view.

Dinner at one of our favorites, Gulfstream Cafe

Trent left the following morning because he had to be back at work. But Aunt Joan came to visit and watch the kids play on the beach!

One of Riley's gazillion treks back and forth to the ocean and back!

Like Father, Like Son

Sweet feet crossed

That night we enjoyed dinner at Nance's. The kids LOVED the hushpuppies there! We took a photo op behind the restaurant and then did a little shopping. Then Wednesday was date night for Jeremy and I so we tried Sea Captain's House for the first time and loved the atmosphere but the food wasn't excellent. On Thursday evening we met Uncle Dennis and Aunt Joan at Carolina Roadhouse for dinner. Riley loved sitting next to "Den-ne" at dinner. Then we went to their condo and took some pictures on the dunes. The last night we went to Market Commons and at dinner at Roy and Sid's.

I'm so thankful that we are blessed with our sweet family.

Garnet-1 Month Post-Surgery

Garnet is starting to show improvement! She stayed at PetVac for the week while we were on vacation so she got some much needed therapy (at no additional charge) while she was there! They did some massage therapy as well as some water therapy and began walking her holding a towel under her. She is now started to lift her back up on her own and take 3 to 4 steps at a time before losing balance! She is going to the bathroom on her own. If we take her out often enough it is mostly all while outside too! We are praying these improvements continue so our life can reach some sort of "normalcy" again soon. It would be one thing is we only had Garnet to take care of but it is hard to work in the extra attention she needs when we're working full time and parenting a 21 month old full time! Garnet has her next followup visit scheduled for this upcoming Friday with the specialist. I'm hoping he'll allow us to being water therapy at home.

On a sweet note, all week at the beach Riley kept saying "Gah-net" and calling dogs we would see "Gah-net" as usual. We rushed to get home in time to pick Garnet up Saturday afternoon and when we got home Riley would not pet her. Instead he got in the floor and did everything she did. When she would "roll over" he would lay on his back with his feet up in the air too! He's a mess!

Garnet--10 days Post Surgery Update

Garnet had her 1st check-up today at Upstate. She was very anxious once I pulled into the parking lot. She had her staples removed. While waiting on Dr. Morrison she used her right back paw 3 different times, lifting it to move so I was in shock! We're all still cautiously optimistic. She did have good leg tone, some hip movement, and she wagged her tail. And the best part was she had some pain sensation today! She whimpered once and looked back but didn't squeal and jerk back as we had hoped. I feel bad getting excited about her being in pain but it means she's hopefully getting it back! Bladder control will probably come back much later. Now we have a couple of new exercises to do in addition to the old ones and we're gonna start taking her outside to try to let her drag herself around so maybe she'll start going to the bathroom on her own. We also are going to start letting her practice standing on carpet so she can get a better grip instead of sliding around so much. And I touched base with our regular vet at Pet Vac. Even though Garnet will require more attention than we had expected, they have agreed to let us still kennel her there for our vacation!! So now we know she'll still be getting the care she needs!

And Riley is doing pretty good. Once I fix Garnet's food bowl I let him carry it to her. Jeremy snuck up on Riley yesterday very hesitantly walking up to Garnet then very gently petting her head and backing away! He's just TOO cute!

A big THANK YOU to those of you reading this for your prayers and concern. Everyone has been so kind to call and check on Garnet and send us encouraging messages, etc. We really appreciate it!

Riley's 1st Prayer

Every morning on the way to drop Riley off at school I say our prayers. Most of the time I do not finish the prayer until we're pulling into Bo Peep and when I say Amen, Riley will say "Mamen!" He does the same thing with the blessing. Well this past week one of the first things I prayed for was for Garnet's healing since she has been in such bad shape. One morning Riley said, "Gah-net, Gah-net, Gahhhh-net, MAMEN!!!" I could've cried. It was so sweet to not only hear his first prayer but that he prayed for Garnet! He is 20 months old and oh how special these little moments are to me!

Garnet Diva Register

Garnet was born on February 23, 2007 to Carter and Foxie Harvey, both owned by Jay and Kelly Harvey. We got to see her on her birth day following my birthday dinner with Jeremy! She fit in Jay's hand that day. Then she got to come home on Jeremy's birthday, April 13, 2007! She is now 3 years old and so loved. We named her Garnet because we are huge Gamecock fans. Her puppy days were trying to say the least. She was so hard to train that we actually paid for a 3 week intensive training program in Easley. Garnet was our baby until Riley came along. When I was pregnant she became so protective of me and would sit above me on the couch or lay her head right on my belly. Garnet is so much more than a best friend. She licks my tears when I cry, greets me with tail wagging after a long day, cuddles with me in the evenings, and patiently waits for me in the mornings. She is loyal, loving, gentle, sweet, patient, and true to her name, a diva. I never realized how much I loved her until a week ago. I cried my eyes out all weekend and have been an emotional wreck all week. I feel so helpless. We have done what we can do the rest is in God's hands. Now I will share with you the journey of Garnet's Surgery:

Telling Garnet "goodbye" Saturday morning

Garnet blew a disc in her back Friday night 7/9/10 at 9 p.m. She screamed the worst howling scary noise I've ever heard and headed for her crate. We got her out as she was just shaking and panting and she could not bare weight on her back feet. I started crying and called my Mom to come stay with Riley as he had just gone to bed. Jeremy and I took Garnet to the emergency vet on Asheville Hwy and it just so happened that our vet, Dr. Cudd was the doctor working there. She gave Garnet an adjustment and a steroid shot. All of this was $110 with it being after hours and an emergency clinic. All night Garnet shook and panted and by morning had lost bladder function and was completely paralyzed.

Saturday morning 7/10/10 we followed up with Dr. Cudd at Pet Vac and she referred us to Upstate Veterinary Specialists in Greenville. Dr. Cudd was kind enough not to charge us for our visit with her. When we got to Upstate it was about lunch time and Dr. Morrison was ready for us and answered a gazillion questions and gave us time to make our decision on surgery verses putting Garnet down. She had a 50/50 shot, we were within 24 hours of her injury, and she is only 3 years old so we ended up deciding to go for surgery. During surgery, which began by 3 p.m., they removed bone to relieve the pressure on the spine. They also removed a lot of debris from the disk as well as fluid from where it blew. Dr. Morrison said this was one of the worst spinal injuries he had ever seen; however, the blood flow to the spine was immediate and looked healthy.

Sunday morning, 7/11/10, we were able to visit Garnet. Pictured here you can see where she had her IV in her left arm and the bandage covering her incision on her back. Her back legs flopped like a ragdoll.

Post surgery Garnet had a little tone in her legs and pelvis. We prepared for her homecoming by borrowing a larger crate, buying puppy pads, and rearranging furniture in the breakfast nook to make room for the larger crate.

Riley was extremely excited to see that Garnet was at home!

Garnet has now been home for 2 days and she has had a decreased appetite. I now know it is because at Upstate they were hand feeding her canned dog food instead of dry food. So I had to go out and buy some because she needs to eat to regain her strength. However, it was hard to buy it because we've never ever let her eat canned food! We have not had alot of change. She seems at times to have some type of control going on with her bladder then at other times she doesn't have any. During her daily exercises last night she squeezed back on both back paws when working her toes. She is on 4 medications 4 times a day (Famotidine, Tramadol, Prednisone, and a muscle relaxer). We must express he bladder at least 3 times a day. And she must have exercises done for 15 minutes 4 times a day. As you can imagine between attempting to do all of this for her, keep a 20 month old son away from her but happy, and work full time we are being stretched. We are going to do what we can for her for the next 6 weeks before having to decide whether to put her down or not. I pray that she will come around...slowly but surely!

We Did It!!!

The Gamecock baseball team defeated UCLA tonight to become the 2010 National Champions!!!

I will admit, Jeremy had to wake me up! I sat thru so many baseball games in the past 2 weeks and what do I do but fall asleep in the 10th or 11th inning! Thank goodness for DVR because once Jeremy started screaming, "Leslie, We did it, we did it!!" I immediately made him rewind! Then I was wired and it was well after 2 a.m. before I ever went to sleep. We were so ecstatic. I had tears in my eyes watching the celebration take place. We are some really proud Gamecock fans!

I'm a diehard Gamecock fan which means I don't just focus on one sport and I am anything BUT "fairweather"! I grew up a Gamecock. When going through photo albums at my parents' house you will have a tough time finding photos of me that aren't Gamecock related in some way. Our parents had 2 season tickets for awhile and even after they gave those up they would try to pick a game to take us to. Oh how good was my Mom's tailgate meal...home fried chicken strips with homemade honey mustard, potato salad, and baked beans in a jar wrapped with aluminum foil. My mom even made us Gamecock cheerleader outfits! And we sure did love Cocky! I remember asking for Carolina-Clemson football tickets for a Christmas present and getting to go to a Carolina basketball game for a birthday present. We would usually attend the Carolina Spring Game (for football) and then we'd head on over to take in a baseball game too if they were playing.

Growing up, I was a really sore loser. On the way home after a loss I would complain about mistakes made in the game all the way home! My senior year of high school I had the privilage to attend I believe 3 or 4 home games. The first game of the season we won and I was present. However, the 1998 season was finished 1-10. I still ache when I think about the loss to Marshall by a field goal.

After graduating high school in 1999, I went to Carolina as a pre-pharmacy student in the fall. Our football team under Coach Lou Holtz went 0-11 that year and being the ever loyal fan, I sat through every home game even until the end of each game. That season taught me a whole lot about my attitude on being a sore loser! I learned there are so many more important things in life than winning and losing sports events. Don't get me wrong, I still care a whole lot but I've gotten a whole lot better too. (For example, when someone tells me they've set their wedding date for the fall I think they're nuts for planning a wedding during football season!)

My sophomore year of college Carolina began the season with a win against New Mexico State. After a 21 game losing streak we were so happy for a WIN that the goal posts came down! And as a student, I was right there in the middle of it all! I even submitted an essay to one of the schools' websites and was selected as "Fan of the Week"! That season was so much fun and was topped off with a victory over Ohio State at the Outback Bowl in Tampa, FL. I had the opportunity to attend that bowl game and was extra excited since my favorite player, Ryan Brewer, had such an amazing game. I stood in my seat with tears in my eyes feeling such a sense of pride to actually be there for our 2nd bowl victory in school history! We had so much fun that we repeated the next year with another trip to Tampa defeating Ohio State again!

Once Jeremy and I got married we became Gamecock Club members and have worked our way up to Full Scholarship Donors with 4 season tickets in the West upperdeck. We've been fortunate to travel to Lexington, KY (win of course), Athens, GA (win), Baton Rouge, LA (loss but LSU went on to become the 2007 National Champions that year), and Birmingham, AL (2010 Papa John's Bowl loss to UCONN). We're planning to go to The Swamp this fall so we'll see how The Register's away record pans out. Our ultimate goal is to see every SEC stadium.

We are passing on our passion for the Gamecocks to Riley. My parents surprised me with a gift to Riley in the delivery room after he was born. It was a small Cocky doll that says "Go Gamecocks!" and plays the fight song. That was so very special to me for his first gift to be a little Cocky! Riley's hospital pictures were done in a garnet Gamecock gown, white gamecock cap, white gamecock socks, a Gamecock blanket, and his little Gamecock! There were only 2 games left in the football season once Riley was born but you better believe he was decked out in Gamecock attire to watch the games on TV! He has pretty much every Gamecock item you can imagine...a football, a basketball, books, jersey, windsuit, t-shirts, sweatshirt, shortalls, squeaky shoes, toothbrush, Mr. Potato Head, etc. He says, "Go TickTock!" for Go Gamecocks. At daycare when the director would tell him Go Tigers or Go Clemson he would cry (seriously). Now he has the whole toddler class saying "ticktock"!! He attended his first basketball game in the 2009-2010 season and he attended his first Meet the Gamecocks last football season (2009). We hope to take him to his first football game this fall. I hope as our little Gamecock grows up he will have the passion and love for Gamecocks like we do!

Being a Gamecock to me is...

• jumping up and down to 2001 then getting goose bumps from it even though it is 100+ degrees
• staying to hear the alma mater being played after football/basketball games
• walking a mile to the stadium from your tailgate spot
• not allowing Riley to wear orange
• not coloring with orange crayons (I bet Riley won't either!)
• naming our dog Garnet
• flying a Gamecock flag outside which entails random acts of rudeness from the neighborhood kids
• insisting on decking the car out for road trips...flags, magnets, etc.
• paying for not only a donation at the full scholarship level, but on top of that seat premiums, 4 season tickets, and a parking space all in the hopes that our child will have the opportunity to grow up going to the football games!
• having a Carolina Christmas tree (1 of 4 trees at my house)
• calling my dad to discuss the game afterwards (or at least the next day)
• standing in long lines for the bathroom at Williams Brice
• flying to New Orleans on a plane with ALL Gamecocks fans out of Cola
• working on the ultimate tailgate...so far we've got the flat screen TV, an antenna, a vehicle with a hookup for all of that at the back, a Gamecock Tent, tablecloth, napkin holder, Cocky salt and pepper shakers, dishes, containters, you name it...
• keeping up with all Gamecock stuff thru TV, radio, and/or internet at all times

I was born a Gamecock. I am a Gamecock Alumna. I married a Gamecock. I'm raising my son to be a Gamecock!

We hail Thee Carolina, and sing They high praise! With loyal devotion, remembering the days when proudly we sought Thee Thy children to be. Here's a health (arm up like a toast) Carolina Forever to Thee!-our Alma Mater

Toddler Time at the Registers

So our little man is 19 months old and totally a full blown toddler! He's running around, climbing up on furniture, singing, putting his own shoes on (sometimes on the wrong feet), telling me to put my shoes on, bossing "Gah-net" around, etc.!

Riley with his "B B" (blankie)

I don't want to ever forget hearing him say "IWuvOoo" for the first time. So sweet sounding that I almost cried! Nor do I want to forget hearing him say "Mamen" at the end of the blessing. I love how sometimes he closes his eyes during the blessing and sometimes he bobs his head back and forth if we say "God is Great"...like he's dancing to the blessing! And I don't want to forget the precious memory of telling him and Ava-Reese it was time to say the blessing and how not only did they both hold my hands but they reached out and held each others hands too!

We've gone swimming the past 2 weekends and Riley is starting to come around. It's so funny how last summer he was so young and would kick himself around the pool in his turtle float but this summer at 19 months in a swimmies/jacket type thing he clings to me for dear life! Oh and he'll only kick a few good kicks then stick his legs straight how and make you pull him around,lol!

Riley ready to go swimming, saying "cheese"

Riley swimming with Daddy

So back to the shoes. Riley is OBSESSED with shoes. He not only says "shoes" but he says "crocs" too! And if I don't put shoes on him right away when getting him dressed in the morning, he will open up his shoe/sock drawer, pull out matching (yes matching) shoes and bring them to me saying "shoes"! Just last week we were all in the kitchen getting ready to leave. My shoes were at the garage door. Jeremy and Riley already had shoes on. Riley looked at my shoes, looked at my bare feet then picked up my shoes and brought them to me saying, "shoes"! If you ask him where his crocs are (he has 2 pair) he will find you a matching pair,haha!

Riley trying on Daddy's shoes before work

Now onto my soapbox. I think children should be taught manners. We've been working on "please" and "thank you" since Riley was able to speak. Most of the time he says "thank you" when you give him something but he's a little slower about learning the "please" except when he's "working" you. So how is it my 19 month old can say thank-you but little 5+ year olds can come in my store and you never hear a "thank you", "please", or "yes/no ma'am"? My parents and grandparents stayed on us and our manners so I pray we will do the same.

On a side note our family has been going through a difficult time. July 11th will be a year since my grandmother passed away. Our grandfather is 92 and overall has been in really good health. He has had some minor things to come up over the past year but we hit an unexpected rough patch last week. Turns out he had a duodenal ulcer that bled out while he was being scoped. We didn't know it at the time but while he was in ICU they constantly kept an O.R. booked just for him b/c they expected to have to possibly do emergency surgery. They had also done a full workup on his heart because his enzymes were elevated and they felt like he was about to have a heart attack. Then being 92 he suffered some various urological issues as well as severe pain from arthritis in his knees. He wound up with 2 cortisone shots in his knees and has to walk with a walker for now. But we are praising God because overall considering all he has been thru he is doing GREAT! My Mom is the best daughter to him and I only pray that I can be as good of a daughter to her as she has been to her parents.